Lana Del Rey Talks ‘Ultraviolence,’ Touring & More

Before her show at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre, Lana Del Rey spoke with 96.5TIC’s Lisa Gold all about her new album Ultraviolence, her fans and her tour. Check it out!

It’s been a wild ride for Lana Del rey since the soulful singer rose to fame with her hit song “Video Games.” Now she’s in the midst of a mostly sold-out US tour, with her sophomore album Ultraviolence ready to drop this June. Fans got a taste of the new album with the first single “West Coast,” but Del Rey hints that’s just a taste of what’s to come.

“There’s not a running theme through Ultraviolence, it’s more atmospheric. There’s more of a general vibe going on,” she explained. “I feel like it has a narrative; it starts with my favorite song from the record, called ‘Cruel World,’ with these heavy guitars and I like that because it’s symbolically referencing the West Coast, and from there we move into parts of Brooklyn, sonically.”

Making a record can be a very fluid process, and one of the most influential changes to Ultraviolence along the way was the last-minute inclusion of Dan Auerbach to the creative fold. “I met him in New York when I thought I was done with the record,” Del Rey said of the Black Keys‘ frontman. “We decided to fly to Nashville and took six weeks there. He was really amazing… Me and Dan Auerbach we did what we wanted to do.”

“I’m really excited about the record,” she continued. “I love that the label was so supportive, letting me have a record with lots of jazz tones and West Coast vibes going on. And the shows have been pretty amazing… I’m gonna go play some shows in France and London for about 40 days, so I’ll be around.”

Before that, though, Del Rey is finishing up her US tour, playing to many theatres packed to sell-out capacity with her fans. While Del Rey’s followers don’t have their own nickname– like the Katy Kats or the Directioners– she loves them all the same. “My fans don’t have a name, they are just themselves,” she said. “I’m usually out there for a couple of hours, just saying hi… I really appreciate the support. The fact that they really love the music is pretty amazing for me.”

With more shows and the new album on the horizon, Lana Del Rey is more excited these days than her haunting, brooding music might suggest. But she still keeps that atmospheric aesthetic in her dressing room, adorned with candles and plenty of mood lighting. “My tour manager is amazing, he makes it pretty moody,” she said, before adding that it can’t all be dark and myerious. “I’m high maintenance… water and potato chips are a must have, for sure.”